


Terror in the Night

by nightmare_kidette



Category: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - Dr. Seuss, The Grinch (2018)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Literal Sleeping Together, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 16:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16814281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightmare_kidette/pseuds/nightmare_kidette
Summary: Although it has been a couple of years now since the Grinch found some respite from the horrors of the past, the nightmares still come to visit once every green moon...





	Terror in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Only a short little story this time. But hopefully you Grinch/Donna people get your fix until my next!

Silence abounded in the Lou-Who household as the night stretched on. The tick-tocking of a clock was the only sound, besides the odd rustle in the sheets as Donna and bedfellow, Grinch, shifted silently in their bed. Max grumbled quietly in his sleep, twitching his toes as he dreamed. Donna then suddenly woke, blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the dark of the room. She sensed something was wrong once she started to feel Grinch become more rapid in his movements, kicking his legs about and twisting his face into a disturbing grimace, which gave way to a jolting yelp as he snapped out of unconsciousness and re-entered the real world.

Or so she thought.

He panted, trying to catch his breath as though he had been drowning. He desperately flailed about, getting twisted up in the sheets. Her side was ripped off her body, exposing her to the cool air of the bedroom. Max watched from his corner, ears pricked up and ready to leap to the rescue if need be. Donna had to do something - fast! Rather inexperienced with an instance such as this, she did what she felt was best. She firmly placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Grinch!“ she called as he slowed down to look at her, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“D...Donna!” with a whimper he flung himself at her, tears starting to form in his sad, emerald eyes.

“Shhh...” she soothed, drawing him into an embrace. “It’s alright. I’m here... I’m here.”

Grinch said nothing as his body shuddered with the tears he thought he'd long forgotten. Nightmares that had ceased to be. Terrors that were extinct in his mind. They had come back with a nasty vengeance. And what for? Donna rested her cheek against him, smoothing his fur with her delicate but sturdy hands, leaving a trail of warmth as she went. "What happened back there?"

"It was _them_..." Grinch trembled. "They took me back."

"Where to? To the - ?" Donna didn't want to finish the question, fearing she might be treading into too-personal territory.

"Yes," Grinch replied. "To the... _orphanage_." He spluttered out the word as though it was a foul insult. "I hoped I'd never have to see it again. It's always going to be here, isn't it? In my mind, at least." A fresh stream of tears formed in the corners of his eyes, dampening Donna's nightdress.

She cocked her head in thought, eyebrows drawn up in pity as she comforted her husband. "Well... I suppose so," she said finally. "I've been told that you can't truly forget things. But..." she struggled to find the right words before deciding to settle for the facts, in some sort of effort to ground him. "But, you're here now. Safe with me, and Cindy-Lou, and Buster and Bean and..." she gently placed a hand on her growing abdomen, lightly blushing, "...our new additions. The orphanage doesn't exist anymore. It shut down years ago and all those awful people are gone now. They'll never hurt you or any other Who ever again."

Grinch sighed in relief, as if it was the first time he was being told this. He knew it was true, but hearing it from someone else - especially Donna - made it all the more real for him. He laid his head on her lap, which she petted affectionately. His breathing became less laboured and he practically purred under her touch.

"They took me away... from you. From everyone. It was worse than my childhood ever was. There was _nothing_. I screamed but I couldn't say _anything_."

"Shhh..."

"I think I'm afraid of losing all of you," he continued, absentmindedly twirling a tangled piece of fluff on himself. "I've never cared so much for anyone else before."

An offended snort sounded in the corner. Donna giggled. Grinch rolled his eyes. "Besides _you_ , Max." Satisfied, the dog snuggled back down to sleep with a smile on his face.

"Well, I can't promise anything but for now, we're here, you're here and I don't think anything is gonna happen for a long time," Donna concluded, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah..." Grinch drawled as Donna rubbed a sweet spot along his back.

"Although... there is _one_ thing..." she added.

Grinch slowly sat up. "What?"

She took his big hands in hers, a smile plastered across her soft face. "I went to the doctor's today. Grinch... we're going to have girls."

Grinch's eyes widened. "Girls?? Plural?"

Donna nodded. "Girls. Three of them. _Triplets_."

There was a moment of silence before it set in. "Oh Donna!" Grinch threw his arms around her, squeezing her tight. He hadn't cried this much in ages but this time now, they were happy tears running down his full, fluffy cheeks. "This makes me... _so happy_." He leaned down again to plant a kiss on her abdomen, all the fears of his subconscious slowly fading away as he lay down to sleep again, cradling his wife in his arms as dreams of a new era of fatherhood took over to sweep away the nightmarish cobwebs.


End file.
